Amsterdam canal houses with houseboat in front
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How to see the best of Amsterdam in one day: one-day Amsterdam itinerary

How to see the best of Amsterdam in one day. One-day Amsterdam itinerary for first-time visitors: with best things to see + how to see them.

Amsterdam is one of the most dynamic, beautiful and culturally rich cities in Europe; it has a plethora of pretty corners, world-class museums, pleasant parks and more restaurants than you can ever hope to try in a lifetime. 

So, if you only have one day to see the best of Amsterdam, you need a plan!

While you will not be able to see everything in Amsterdam in a day, Amsterdam’s city center is compact and well served by an excellent network of trams. Therefore, a good itinerary is all you need to get a first good impression of what the city is all about: you find my favorite in this guide!

I can think of many ways to plan a day in Amsterdam. 

Depending on your interest and the season of your visit, you can focus on some of Amsterdam’s art museums, take to the water with a canal tour, or stroll and watch life go by sitting at one of the many beautiful terraces in the city. 

In this guide, I am focussing on first-time visitors.

With their needs in mind, I have curated a detailed one-day itinerary through Amsterdam’s main attractions and the most iconic spots in Amsterdam first-timers cannot miss. 

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Amsterdam top attractions you will see following this self-guided itinerary

• The Canal Ring, a UNESCO world heritage site, unique to the city. 

• The Amsterdam Begijnhof – a historical courtyard with traditional Dutch architecture and Amsterdam’s oldest house

• Museum Plein (with or without a museum visit) – one of the most famous squares in Amsterdam, this is where you find the Rijksmuseum famous for paintings of the Dutch golden age, the van hog museum 

• The area of the Nine Streets, one do the most Instagrammable areas in Amsterdam 

• Dam square and the Royal Palace

  • Centraal Station and Amsterdam’s iconic gingerbread houses

What’s the best way to get around Amsterdam if you only have one day?

There are four main ways to explore Amsterdam city center: on foot, bike, canal cruise, or tram.

We followed this itinerary mostly on foot, but we are very active walkers; if you feel you’d instead catch a tram to get to the museum area, you can hop on and get your ticket on board.

1h tickets cost 3.80 Euro at the time of writing; payment is by card only on the tram. As an alternative, you can pre-book a 1-day travel card.

You can choose between:

1-day travel card including Schipol transport – best if you have a one-day stopover in Amsterdam.

1-day travel card Amsterdam only

Good to know! This itinerary includes mostly free attractions. Should you decide to add visits to museums, then you may want to consider the IAmsterdam Card, which also includes transport.

Traditional houses on Amsterdam Damrak
Houses in Amsterdam

One day in Amsterdam itinerary Morning 

I like to start my day in Amsterdam from the central Station: Centraal. 

Cenetraal, as the name suggests, is in Amsterdam city center and a transport hub, therefore easy to reach no matter where you are staying in Amsterdam.

The station building is beautiful and worth seeing (outside) and it is a great starting point for your walk. 

From here, I recommend you walk down Damrak towards Dam Square.

Damrak is a large, busy street packed with tourist shops and restaurants. It is not the most charming street in Amsterdam, very far from it, however, it is convenient to reach Dam Square and it also has something rather special: a fantastic view of historical canal houses (yes, those you see in so many photos, they are here!)

Top Tip: if you want to see something peculiar, the secret church of Our Lord in the Attic is near here.

Dam Square 

Dam Square is master’s main square: it hosts the Dutch Royal Palace, the National Monument and, in winter, it is where you find a stunning Christmas tree

Dam Square is large and busy and while I do not love this part of Amsterdam, I feel it is a must-see if you are a first-time visitor to the city. 

Explore Jordaan 

After busy Dam square, I recommend you enter one of my favorite parts of Amsterdam: Jordaan. 

Wealthy, beautiful, and clean, this area has stunning homes and picturesque canal quays and bridges. 

Amstrdam House boat museum

Jordaan is central but it feels a million miles away from the busy tourist center.

Many streets of this area are quiet ad residential and perfect fr a tranquil walk along the canals. 

Some cute things to see here are the Amsterdam Houseboat Museums and, just in front, an attractive leafy square with statues of musicians, perfect for a quick rest! 

Jordaan is also where you find the Anne Frank House, now a museum. The visit is well worth it: book here.

Lunch and early afternoon

Immediately to the South of Jordaan, you find the ‘Nine streets’, which are just what the name suggest: nine roads!

They are popular for their trendy concepts stores, cafes and restaurants and a delight to visit.  

The streets are narrow and cobbled and cute shops and cafe terraces are everywhere, decorated with blooming rose bushed, pretty lights and quirky shop signs. 

This is an excellent area for a coffee break or lunch: sit and the Hoxton or at the Instagram-ready Puk and indulge in anything from eggs and avocado to dutch pancakes or Ramen.

The choice is endless!

Near the Nine Streets, you also have Amsterdam’s flower market: bloemenmarkt

The market is lovely to get plants and bulbs and a good place to tap into the Dutch love for tulips.

The market develops along the canals and is the only floating flower market in the world.

Indeed, the stalls are on water; however, do not expect boats selling flowers or meandering through it!

The stalls are on houseboats and you visit on foot. It is, however, lovely and perfect to get bulbs or blossomed flowers.

Just across the canal from the nine streets, I recommend you visit the Amsterdam Begijnhof.

Amsterdam begijnhof is an enclosed yard from the 14th century with beautiful houses overlooking a leafy area. 

It is home to the oldest house in Amsterdam, and it embodies the aesthetics and cultural references so typical of this part of Europe. 

It is a lovely spot, tranquil and good for photos and is also one of the free attractions in Amsterdam. 

Afternoon

You cannot spend a day in Amsterdam without seeing Museum Plein, the vast square overlooked by some world-class Amsterdam museums.

Museum Plein hosts the stunning Rijks Museum, home to masterpieces by the dutch masters and, famously, the night watch and also the Vang Gogh museum

Museum Plein Amsterdam with tulips
Please note: the IAmsterdam sign is no longer in front of the museum!

If you only have one day in the city, you may not be able to see all of the above plus one of the museums; however, if you love art, I recommend you make time even for just one of the two. 

Top Tip! The museums operate with timed entrance slots. Book them first and then rearrange your itinerary around your booking: they are popular and you may not have a vast choice of time slots if booking last minute.

Even if you decide not to visit the museums, the square is worth seeing.

Large and beautiful, it is one of the most important squares in Amsterdam and a sight to behold.in spring, it gets decorated with tulips and in winter it gains an ice rink and a Christmas market.

Evening

If you have a full day in Amsterdam and don’t have to rush back to the airport before dinner time, I recommend you tap into one more area: the Pijp.

The Pijp is just south of Amsterdam city center and people describe it as ‘trendy’, ‘cool’ and ‘hipster’.

It is all of this, and more! There are very many dinner places in De Pijp to suit all tastes and budgets.

Some you may like are The Butcher (burgers, also in the Nine Streets area), Le Petit Caron (bistro), Arles (restaurant), Maris Piper (luxury brasserie).

More things you can do with one day in Amsterdam

Some additional ideas for seeing Amsterdam in one day:

See Amsterdam from the water with a canal cruise

The best way to enjoy Amsterdam canals is by taking a canal cruise.

This can be an excellent way to cover a lot of ground in a short time and to see many of the best sights in Amsterdam without walking excessively.

You can choose between several formulas such as:

Amsterdam City Highlights cruise

Evening Canal Cruise with bar service

Amsterdam Light Festival Cruise with drinks (festival weeks only)

Amsterdam Canal Cruise + Van Gogh Museum (bundle)

Amsterdam Canal Cruise + Heineken experience (bundle)

Discover Amsterdam by bike: Amsterdam residents love bikes and you can also enjoy Amsterdam on two wheels by joining a small group bike tour showing you the city’s most famous attractions.

Need to know! Bikes are the primary means of transport for many Amsterdam locals: they use them to go to work, run errands, and they go fast! 

As a tourist, you are likely to enjoy a leisurely pace, but you will probably be in the minority here. So, make sure you get out of the way and mind the traffic (of bikes and cars equally!) – the tour is an easy way to minimize risks as you don’t have to start and stop all the time to check your map for directions.

Go to a museum: Amsterdam has outstanding museums, ranging from art museums to spaces dedicated to cats! 

Going to a museum is a beautiful way to spend a day in Amsterdam and probably the best thing to do if you happen to be in the city on a rainy day. 

If you opt for a museum, I recommend getting skip-the-line tickets and heading there at the start of your day to avoid the rush. 

Buy tickets for Amsterdam museums following the links below:

Rijks Museum: world-famous museums with Dutch masters

Van Gogh museum, entirely devoted to the famous Dutch painters

• If you want to visit more than one museum in a day, consider the IAmsterdam Card

Amsterdam canal view

Explore the red light district – if you are curious about Amsterdam’s famous/infamous red light district, you’ll be happy to know you can easily and safely wander around it.

The district is beside Centraal and, during the day, you can explore it on foot like any other place in town. It is surprisingly beautiful as an area and definitely unique!

Visit Amsterdam Noord – If you want to see a different side of Amsterdam, one that brings you away from the canal ring and lets you dive deep into Amsterdam’s hipster heart, you should spend your day exploring Amsterdam Noord.

Located just in front of Centraal Station and easily connected to it by a free ferry service, it has lovely beer gardens and the excellent Amsterdam Eye Film Museums. In summer, this is a great place for chilling outdoors. The area is an interesting history, which you can discover by booking a private walking tour of Amsterdam Noord.

It is lovely in spring and summer, especially when its many beer gardens and cafes come to life.

Travel tips for a successful day in Amsterdam

Check restrictions and rules about mask-wearing and vaccinations certs on the official Dutch Government site

Wear comfortable shoes – you will be walking a lot in Amsterdam, often on cobbles. Opt for sneakers or flat shoes with a rubber sole for comfort.

Wear proper clothing for the weather – Amsterdam weather is as changeable as it can be! Read the forecast the day before you do and always bring an extra layer.

Book museums in advance – use the links above or check individual museum websites to secure your place

Keep documents on you – having ID on you is compulsory in the Netherlands

Keep a card on you for trams – if you want to hop on the tram, you can pay by credit card only (no cash). Cards are also widely accepted in shops and restaurants.

Mind the bikes – bikes are as dangerous as cars in Amsterdam! Watch where you walk: do not walk on bike lanes and always watch carefully before crossing the road

Stay in the city center – if you only have one day in Amsterdam, opt for accommodation in the city center. Areas such as Centraal station and Leidseplein place you in the best position to explore in a short time.

If visiting with kids, read our guide for visiting Amsterdam with children as well, so you can pick activities that are fun for them too.

I hope you enjyed this quick itinerary to see Amsterda in one day. Safe travels!

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